Trump camp says he'll debate Cruz once he proves eligibility

Donald Trump will take Ted Cruz up on his offer of a "mano-a-mano" debate, but only after the Canadian-born citizen proves his eligibility in the race, Trump's campaign manager said on Thursday.

In a radio interview, Corey Lewandowski used a question about Cruz's call for a one-on-one debate in Iowa this weekend to make his point, dismissing Cruz's proposal as a "publicity stunt" and digging into the Texas senator with one of Trump's favorite attacks.

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“And the bottom line is, you know what we’ve said to Ted Cruz, go into court, seek a declaratory judgment to find out if you’re even legally eligible to run for president of the United States," he told Boston radio host Jeff Kuhner according to audio posted by BuzzFeed. Cruz was born in Calgary, but his mother was born in the U.S., giving Cruz dual citizenship. He renounced his Canadian citizenship in 2014.

"That's the first thing. Once you’ve gotten that ruling from the federal judge and you’re the last man standing in this presidential contest next to Donald Trump, we’ll be happy to have a debate with you one-on-one, anywhere you want, because that’s the way the system works,” Lewandowski said. “But, as it stands right now, we don’t even know if Ted Cruz is legally eligible to run for president of the United States.”

A group of super PACs backing Cruz has offered to donate $1.5 million to veterans' groups if Trump agrees to participate.

“What this is, is a publicity stunt by Senator Cruz who is continuing to fall in the polls in the state of Iowa,” said Lewandowski on the radio show, hitting Cruz on a number of issues, including "using a super PAC, which as you know, as all of your listeners know that Donald Trump does not have super PACs, he's disavowed any super PACs. He doesn't raise money."

Lewandowski then made reference to Cruz's failure to report loans he took out from Goldman Sachs and Citibank during his 2012 Senate campaign.

In answering a similar question Wednesday posed by ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America," Lewandowski also said that Trump "would be happy to debate him" if it comes down to the two men for the Republican nomination. He did not make reference to the declaratory judgment.

The hits on Cruz's Canadian roots did not stop there with Lewandowski, who remarked later in the same segment about the senator's criticism of Trump's eminent-domain support.

“The Keystone Pipeline, as you know, starts where Ted Cruz was born, in the country of Canada, and runs right down to where he lives now, in the state of Texas," Lewandowski said. "And eminent domain is an issue that you know what unfortunately, sometimes you need to use it to get projects like that done."